Feed mechanism for feeding stationery having feed perforations

ABSTRACT

A feed mechanism for feeding stationery having feed perforations has spring loaded pins for engaging the feed perforations. Each pin is movably retained in an aperture in a base plate of the feed mechanism and has a portion which is made of resilient material so that the pin can be inserted into or removed from the aperture by temporary distortion of the portion.

United States Patent [191 Sandbach [4 1 Apr. 10, 1973 [54] FEED MECHANISM FOR FEEDING STATIONERY HAVING FEED PERFORATIONS [73] Assignee: Moore Business Forms Inc., Niagara Falls, N.Y.

[22] Filed: July 13, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 162,159

[56] 5 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 12/1947 Johnson ..226/8l 11/1948 Metzner Primary ExaminerRichard A. Schacher Attorney-Watsoh, Cole, Grindle & Watson [57] ABSTRACT A feed mechanism for feeding stationery having feed perforations has spring loaded pins for engaging the [52] US. Cl .......226/62, 226/87 feed perforations; Each pin is movably retained in an [51] Int, Cl...... ..G03b 1/22 aperture in a base plate of the feed mechanism and [58] Field of Search; ..226/87, 62, 75, 81 as a portion which is made of resilient material so that the pin can be inserted into or removed from the aperture by temporary distortion of the portion.

2 Claim, 5 Drawing Figures l7 9/ \3. E18, I

PATENT 1 APR 1 01973 SHEET 2 OF 2 pm M CA'QA" W4 mafi wimp) FEED MECHANISM FOR FEEDING STATIONERY HAVING FEED PERFORATIONS This invention relates to a feed mechanism for feeding stationery having feed perforations.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved feed mechanism for feeding stationery having feed perforations.

According to the present invention, there is provided a feed mechanism for feeding stationery having feed perforations, the feed mechanism including a support member movably mounted on a frame and a pin for engaging a feed perforation, the pin being resiliently mounted on the support member so that during relative movement of the pin and the stationery, the pin is moved by the stationery against the action of the resilient bias until the feed perforation is in register with the pin when the pin,due to the action of the resilient bias, engages the feed perforation wherein a portion of the pin is made of resilient material and can pass through an aperture in the support member by temporary distrotion of the portion so that the pin can be movably retained in the aperture.

Conveniently, the pin has a head, a bifurcated shank extending from the head through the aperture and hook portions on the prongs respectively of the shank.

An example of a feed mechanism according to the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an autographic register having the feed mechanism, 1

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the register shown in FIG. 1 with a lid of the register raised,

FIG. 3 is a cross section on the line III-III of FIG. 1,

FIG. 4 is an enlarged part of FIG. 3, and

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a pin.

The feed mechanism, generally designated 1, is contained in a compartment 2 situated in the front of an autographic register 3. Behind the compartment 2 is a storage compartment 4 for storing register sets 5 folded to form a pile 6. A transversely elongated slot 7is provided in the front of the register and the purpose of the feed mechanism is to feed the leading edge of the leading form length of the register sets through'the slot.

There are two main features which characterize the feedmechanism. The first'is a pair of pins 8 and 9 and thesecond is an elongated support plate 10 for supporting the pins and for supporting the register sets as they approach the slot 7.

Preferably, the support plate 10 is made of a one piece moulding having end webs, one of which is shown at 11, for supporting the plate on a shift 12. The shaft extends transversely of the register and is journalled at each end in a frame formed by partitions 13 and 14 upstanding in the register. ln cross section the shaft 12 has a flat portion 15. Each endweb has an aperture for receiving the shaft and each aperture also has a flat portion so that the support plate is non-rotatably mounted on the shaft 12. A circlip 16 is provided on the shaft to prevent movement of the support plate longitudinally of the shaft.

Fon'ning part of the one piece moulding of the support plate 10 are two recesses in which the two pins 8 and 9 respectively are housed. The recesses are identical and are in register with two apertures respectively in the support member 10. Since the pins 8 and 9 and the recesses are identical, only the pin 8 and the recess 17 housing it will be described.

The recess 17 is in register with an aperture 18 which is one of the two apertures mentioned above. In the bottom of the recess 17 is an aperture 19. The pin 8 is made on a one piece moulding of synthetic plastics material and has ahead 20 and a bifurcated shank 21. At the end distant from the head, each prong of the shank has an arcuate outwardly extending flange 22, the lower surface of which curves downwardly and inwardly from the outer arcuate edge. The thickness of the shank 21 is less than the diameter of the aperture 19 but the distance from the outer edge of one of the flanges 22 to the outer edge of the other flange is greater than the diameter of the aperture 19 until the ends of the shank 21 are pressed together, when the distance is equal to or only slightly less than of the diameter of the aperture.

Thus, the dimensions of the pin are such that the shank can be inserted into the aperture 19 by pressing together the ends of the shank so that the flanges can pass through the aperture. The curved periphery of each flange ensures that the flanges do not obstruct movement of the shank through the aperture 19. Once through the aperture 19 the prongs spring apart. The pin 8 then can move relatively to the recess, in a direction along the longitudinal axis of the pin, and will be retained in the aperture 19 because in use the head 20 and the flanges 22 of the pin are too large to pass through the aperture 19.

However, before the shank of the pin 8 is inserted into the aperture 19, it is inserted into a helical spring 23. The spring has an internal diameter which is greater than the thickness of the shank 21 but is less than the thickness of the head 20. Thus, when the shank 21 is coaxial with the helical spring 23 and is inserted into the aperture 19, the spring seats on the bottom of the recess 17 and the upper end engages the underside of the head 20 urging the pin upwardly until the flanges 22 engage the underside of the recess. The head of the pin 8 then extends above the surface of the support plate 10, as shown in FIG. 4, and can engage a feed perforation 24 in the register sets 5 when the leading edge of a form length of the register sets is supported on the support plate 10 so that the feed perforation is in register with the pin 8.

I, When the pin 8 is located in a feed perforation 24 of the register sets 5 and the support plate 10 is pivoted forwardly, the register sets may slide up the head 9 and become disengaged from the pin. A slot 25 is provided in the leading portion of the surface of the head 9 to reduce any tendency of the register sets to slide off the head.

In order to reduce the possibility of the register sets 5 buckling as they are supported on the support plate 10 and to ensure that the pins 8 and 9 engage feed perforations 24 in the register sets, there is provided an elongated guide plate 26 extending transversely of the register in a position above the support plate 10 and vertically above the shaft 11. The guide plate 26 has a lower surface which in transverse cross section is concave as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. One end of the guide plate 26 is secured pivotally to the register 3 by means of pins, one of which is shown at 27 so that when a new pile 6 is inserted into the register the guide plate can be raised and the feed apertures of the leading form length of the register sets located by the pins 8 and 9. When in a lowered position, the guide plate .26 is located by posts 28 and 29 upstanding from the partitions 12 and 13 respectively, the posts being received in apertures 30 and 31 provided in the guide plate 26. Also when the guide plate 26 is in a lowered position andthe pins 8 and 9 are vertically above the shaft 11, the heads 20 of the pins are inside of the arc of the lower surface of the guideplate.

Secured to one end of the shaft 11 is an arm 32 which is resiliently urged rearwardly of the register 3. The upper end of the arm extends through a slot 33 in the lid 34 of the register when the register is closed by the lid. When the arm 32 is moved forwardly of the slot 33 against the resilient bias, the shaft 11 turns clockwise (see FIG. 4) and the support plate is pivoted towards the slot 7.

In operation, assuming that an entry has been made on the leading form length of the register sets 5, the arm 32 is moved forwardly in the slot 33 thus turning the shaft 11 in clockwise direction (see FIG. 4) and pivoting the support plate towards the slot 7, as shown in chain dotted lines in FIG. 4. Since the heads 20 of the pins Sand 9 extend through the feed apertures 24 in the leading form length, the forward movement of the support plate 10 causes the pins 8 and 9 to feed the leading edge of the. leading form length through the slot 7. However, during the arcuate path of the support plate 10, the trailing edge of the supportplate lifts the leading edge of the leading form length from the heads20 of the pins 8 and 9 so that the leading form length can be withdrawn, by hand, from the register 3. Whenthe operator begins to draw the leading form length from the register, he released the arm 32 which, due to its resilient bias, is moved rearwardly of the dloy 33 turning the shaft 11 in an anti-clockwise direction (FIG. 4). The support plate 10 thus rocks in an anti-clockwise direction (FIG. 4) also, moving the heads 20 of the pins 8 and 9 under the leading form length, which is now being withdrawn from the register 3.

As the pins 8 and 9 approach a position vertically above the shaft 11, the pins raise the leading form length against the lower surface of the guide plate 26. The tension appliedto the leading form length during its passage from the register causes the form length to be drawn taught across the arcuate lower surface of the guide plate 26, so that the pins 8 and 9, the heads of which normally would enter into the arc of the lower surface of the guide plate 26, are urged by the leading form length downwardly in the recesses 17 against the action of the springs 23. When the feed perforations 25 of the succeeding form length are in register with the pins 8 and 9, the pins are thrust upwardly by the springs 23 into engagement with the apertures 24 of the succeeding form length, thus tripping further movement of the register sets 5 in the direction of the slot 7. The leading form length then is removed from the remainder of the register sets, by tearing the leading form length along a transverse line of perforations separating the leading form length from the succeeding form length of the register sets.

It will be appreciated that the pins 8 can have a coni figuration different from that described above. For example, the shank 21 may be solrd instead of bifurcated and only the lugs 22 made of resilient material, the lugs deforming temporarily when the shank is forced through the aperture 19.

Also, the resilient bias for the pins 8 and 9 may be provided by means of pads of resilient material instead of the springs 23.

What we claim is:

1. A feed mechanism for feeding stationery having feed perforations, the feed mechanism including a support member movably mounted on a frame and a pin for engaging a feed perforation, the pin being resiliently mounted on the support member so that during relative movement of the pin and the stationery, the pin is moved by the stationery against the action of the resilient bias until the feed perforation is in register with the pin when the pin, due to the action of the resilient bias, engages the feed perforation wherein a portion of the pin is made of resilient materialand can pass through an aperture in the support member by temporary distortion of the portion so that the pin can be movably retained in the aperture.

2. A feed mechanism according to claim 1 wherein the pin has a head, a bifurcated shank extending from the head through the aperture and hook portions on the prongs respectively of the shank. 

1. A feed mechanism for feeding stationery having feed perforations, the feed mechanism including a support member movably mounted on a frame and a pin for engaging a feed perforation, the pin being resiliently mounted on the support member so that during relative movement of the pin and the stationery, the pin is moved by the stationery against the action of the resilient bias until the feed perforation is in register with the pin when the pin, due to the action of the resilient bias, engages the feed perforation wherein a portion of the pin is made of resilient material and can pass through an aperture in the support member by temporary distortion of the portion so that the pin can be movably retained in the aperture.
 2. A feed mechanism according to claim 1 wherein the piN has a head, a bifurcated shank extending from the head through the aperture and hook portions on the prongs respectively of the shank. 